Media content marking and tracking methods and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A system, method, and apparatus for media content marking and tracking are disclosed. An example method includes determining an identification code responsive to a request from a third-party client, generating an audio file including the identification code, transmitting the audio file to the third-party client enabling the third-party client to embed the audio file including the identification code into media content, receiving content information associated with the media content from the third-party client, storing the content information in correspondence to a stored copy of the identification code, receiving a message including the identification code from a consumer device that detected the identification code within the media content, determining the identification code corresponds to the content information, transmitting the content information to the consumer device, receiving an event from the consumer device based on the content information, and making data associated with the event graphically available for the third-party client.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a non-provisional of and claims priority toand the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/934,183,filed on Jan. 31, 2014, the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Media content such as television programs, movies, radio programs, musicservices, web programs, and advertisements may sometimes include anembedded identification code (e.g., an audio watermark) to track whichconsumers viewed and/or heard the content. Oftentimes the identificationcode includes information identifying the media content (e.g., anEntertainment Identifier Registry (“EIDR”) or an Ad-ID). Alternatively,the identification code includes content information that a consumer mayuse to access a website, participate in a promotion, or receive acoupon. Presently, identification codes are embedded within audio bymedia content producers or content providers (e.g., distributors,broadcasters, etc.). The identification code is usually modulated withinthe media content at a frequency that is inaudible by humans.Specialized decoding devices are configured to detect the embedded codeand transmit the code to a monitoring entity. The monitoring entityaggregates detected codes and reports this information to the mediacontent producers and/or media content providers.

Currently, the media content producer or content provider is responsiblefor generating and managing identification codes. However, themonitoring entity is responsible for reporting the detection ofidentification codes. The separation between the monitoring entity andthe content producer/provider may reduce the effectiveness ofidentification codes or increase the complexity of managingidentification codes. For instance, content providers or producers thatwant to use identification codes generate an identification code andmodulate the code into the content. However, not all content providersor producers have an ability or capability of generating identificationcodes. Moreover, some content providers/producers prefer not having tomanage generated identification codes. Further, as standards foridentification codes change, the content providers and content producershave to update their systems accordingly.

Additionally, the current framework for generating and detectingidentification codes is relatively static. As discussed above, anidentification code may include content information for a consumer. Aprovider of the content information may not easily change theinformation after the information is embedded within the media contentwithout altering the information within the media content. For instance,a provider may not easily change a hyperlink to a webpage (used by adetection device to access the webpage after detecting the correspondingidentification code) after the hyperlink has been embedded within themedia content. Additionally, the provider may not easily change how themedia content is identified after, for example, an Ad-ID is embeddedwithin the media content. A need accordingly exists for dynamicmanagement and tracking of media content.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a new and innovative system, method, andapparatus for marking and tracking identification codes within mediacontent. The example identification code service provides a frameworkfor the dynamic creation and management of identification codes byadding a layer of abstraction regarding content identification. Theidentification code service provides relatively low-data identificationcodes that reference relatively high-data content information, which isavailable to content producers and/or content providers (e.g.,third-party clients). This configuration enables content information tobe changed even after an identification code has been embedded intomedia content. This configuration may advantageously support all presentand future industry standards for media content identification becausethe standardized codes are stored as content information separate fromthe media content. The identification code also enables any contentproducer and/or content provider to use identification codes regardlessof their technological capabilities or sophistication.

In an example embodiment, an example identification code service isconfigured to determine identification code(s) for a third-party client(e.g., any entity that is associated with the creation, production,distribution, broadcast, or transmission of media content), encode theidentification code(s) into an audio file, and transmit or otherwiseprovide the audio file to the third-party client, which embeds the audiofile into media content. Alternatively, the identification code servicemay be configured to embed the audio file with the identificationcode(s) into the media content.

The example identification code service is also configured to provide adatabase of created or determined identification codes that isaccessible to third-party clients. A third-party client may access thisdatabase to associate content information with a created or determinedidentification code. The content information may include any type ofindustry standard for describing media content, general descriptions ofmedia content, information for a consumer, and/or a file for a consumer.The third-party client may access the database as needed to update orchange the content information as the need arises.

The example identification code service is further configured to provideconsumer devices with an application configured to detect and decodeidentification codes within media content. The identification codeservice receives indications from a consumer device of a detectionincluding the identification code. The identification code service mayprovide the consumer device with content information associated with thedetected code, receive an event from a consumer device based on theidentification code or content information, generate an event based onthe detected identification code, and/or provide a third-party clientwith a graphical representation of data associated with the eventaggregated with data from other similar events.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosed system, method, andapparatus are described in, and will be apparent from, the followingDetailed Description and the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example identification codemanagement environment, according to an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an example data structure that may storeidentification code parameters provided by a third-party client,according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an example identification code, according toan example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of an example interface configured to promptthird-party clients for content information associated withidentification codes, according to an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show respective data structures of identification codesand content information, according to an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show diagrams of content information being displayed on aconsumer device, according to an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 shows an example of identification codes that have been createdfor a third-party client, according to an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a plurality of events graphically displayedbased on detected identification codes, according to an exampleembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing example data flow in theidentification code management environment of FIG. 1, according to anexample embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates flow diagrams showing example procedures to createand manage an identification code, according to an example embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate flow diagrams showing example procedures todetect and track identification codes, according to an exampleembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 shows a detailed block diagram of an example identification codegenerator, an identification code encoder, an identification codemanager, an identification code tracker (collectively an identificationcode service), an embedder, a content provider, and/or a consumerdevice, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 shows a diagram of example frequency ranges for differentchannels of modulated identification codes, according to an exampleembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates in general to a method, apparatus, andsystem for managing media content identification codes and, inparticular, to providing dynamic generation, management, and tracking ofone or more identification codes embedded within media content. Briefly,in an example embodiment, a system is provided that generates, manages,and tracks identification codes (e.g., whistles) in media content. Theexample system includes a component that is configured to generateidentification codes in response to a request from a third-party client(e.g., a content producer, content distributor, service provider, etc.).The example system also includes a component configured to modulate orencode generated identification code(s) within an audio file andtransmit the audio file to a requesting third-party client. The examplesystem enables the third-party client to incorporate the audio filewithin an audio track of media content. Alternatively, the systemincludes a component to embed the audio file with the identificationcode(s) into media content provided by a third-party client. The examplesystem also provides consumer devices with an application, software,routine, algorithm, etc. configured to detect identification code(s)within the media content.

The example system further includes a component for managing andtracking identification codes. For instance, the example system storesidentification codes to a database that is accessible by third-partyclients. The system is configured to receive content information fromthird-party clients and associate the content information with theappropriate identification codes. The system is configured to receivefrom consumer devices (or upstream media content distributioncomponents) a message including a detected identification code.Responsive to receiving the messages, the example system is configuredto transmit associated content information to the consumer devices (orupstream components), receive one or more events from the consumerdevices associated with content information, generate one or more eventsassociated with the detection, and/or make available to the third-partyclients a graphical representation of data associated with generatedevents.

As discussed herein, media content includes any audio/visualpresentation. The media content may be pre-recorded and edited and/orcreated in real-time. For example, media content may include atelevision program, a news broadcast, a sporting event, a movie, avideo-on-demand, music, video clip, etc. The media content may beprovided to a consumer via a television cable service, a satellitetelevision service, a radio broadcaster, a television broadcaster, anInternet service provider, a web service provider, etc. The mediacontent may be played by a consumer upon receiving the content or may bestored to a storage medium for play at a later time. Further, while thedisclosed system embeds an audio file with one or more identificationcodes into an audio track of media content, the media content does notnecessarily need to have human-decipherable audio (e.g., onlyvideo/pictures). In these instances, the audio track provided inconjunction with the video includes only the audio file with the one ormore identification codes.

Additionally, as discussed herein, media content information (or contentinformation) includes data specified by a third-party client thatdescribes or is otherwise associated with media content presented to aconsumer. For example, content information can include an industrystandard code for identifying media content such as an EntertainmentIdentifier Registry (“EIDR”) or an Ad-ID. The content information canalso include a description of the media content (e.g., a title,synopsis, characters, date, time, etc.) determined by a third-partyclient.

The content information may also include data specified by a third-partyclient to be transmitted to a consumer device responsive to that devicedetecting a corresponding identification code. For example, the contentinformation may include a hyperlink that causes a receiving consumerdevice to navigate to a corresponding webpage. The content informationmay also include a promotional code, an advertisement, a coupon, a file,etc. The content information may further include metadata associatedwith the media content. It should be appreciated that contentinformation may include any type of information or data provided by athird-party client and is not limited in size, scope, or application.

Reference is also made herein to events. As discussed in more detailbelow, an event is an indication of a detection of an identificationcode that is used by the example system to track or monitoridentification code detection among a plurality of consumers and/orupstream components. An event is also an indication of an actionperformed by a consumer using content information provided by theexample system in response to detecting an identification code. An eventmay include, the detected identification code, a time/date of thedetection, and/or consumer information associated with the consumerdevice that made the detection. The event may also include contentinformation and/or feedback provided by a consumer device of an actionperformed using the content information.

An event may be generated by a consumer device based on contentinformation received from the example system. An event may also begenerated upstream by, for example, media content distribution devices,network routers, broadcasting equipment, etc. For example, ingest orplayout servers or set-top boxes may generate an event after detectingan identification code. In some examples, these upstream components maytransmit detected identification codes to the example service, whichthen provides the upstream components corresponding content information.The upstream components may then generate events for the example systembased on the received content information.

The example system is configured to analyze data within aggregatedevents for each of the different identification codes. The analysis maydetermine or rank detections based on demographic characteristics,geographic location, consumer device type, date/time of detection, etc.The example system provides a third-party client associated with thedetected identification code (or other third-parties that subscribe tothe example service) access to the analyzed information including, forexample, a report of analyzed data, a data structure of events andassociated analyzed data, and/or a graphical indication of analyzed dataassociated with the events that is provided by a web service updated inreal-time as events are received and/or identification codes aredetected.

Throughout the disclosure, reference is made to third-party clients. Asdisclosed below, third-party clients are entities that generate, edit,broadcast, distribute, or are otherwise involved in the creation and/ordelivery of media content to consumers (e.g., end users). For example, athird-party client may include a producer of a television show, aproducer of an advertisement, or a producer of Internet content. Athird-party client may also include a television broadcaster (e.g., CNN,NBC, ESPN, etc.) or music service provider (e.g., Muzak, Pandora, etc.).A third-party client may further include a distributor (e.g., SonyEntertainment, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Warner BrothersTelevision Distribution, etc.). Moreover, a third-party client mayinclude a service provider (e.g., Time Warner, Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon,etc.).

The disclosed system may be readily realized in an identification codemanagement environment. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of anidentification code management environment 100 that includes anidentification code service 102. As described herein, the identificationcode service 102 includes one or more servers configured to generateidentification codes, encode identification codes within audio files,manage identification codes, and provide tracking of identificationcodes. The example identification code service 102 may be cloud-based tofurther provide dynamic management and tracking of identification codesin substantially real-time. As shown in FIG. 1, the different functionsof the identification code service 102 may be distributed amongdifferent servers such that an identification code generator 104 isconfigured to determine or create identification codes, anidentification code encoder 106 is configured to encode identificationcodes into audio files, an identification code manager 108 is configuredto enable third-party clients to manage identification codes, and anidentification code tracker 110 is configured to provide tracking ofidentification codes for third-party clients.

In other embodiments, the functionality of one or more of the components104-110 may be combined. For instance, the identification code generator104 and the identification code encoder 106 may be combined to generateand encode identification codes. Alternatively, some of thefunctionality of the one or more servers 104-110 may be located at athird-party client 112. For instance, a third-party client 112 may havea separate identification code encoder 106 to encode and embedidentification codes specifically for the third-party client 112 intomedia content.

As mentioned, the environment 100 of FIG. 1 includes third-party clients112, which include an embedder 114 and a content provider 116. Theexample embedder 114 is configured to combine an audio file with anidentification code into media content. The embedder 114 may be operatedby a creator, editor, or producer of media content. The embedder 114 mayalso be operated by a downstream entity such as a distributor,broadcaster, and/or service provider.

The example content provider 116 is configured to transmit media contentincluding one or more embedded identification codes to consumer devices118. The content provider 116 may be operated by any Internet, cable,satellite, or wireless entity that provides infrastructure for thetransmission of media content to endpoint consumer devices 118 and/orpresentation devices 119. The content provider 116 may also be operatedby any broadcaster and/or distributor that receives media contentembedded with an identification code from an upstream producer and/orcreator.

It should be appreciated that FIG. 1 includes only one third-partyclient 112 for brevity. In other examples, more than one third-partyclient 112 may be communicatively coupled to the identification codeservice 102 via the Internet or other network connection. Moreover, FIG.1 shows the third-party client 112 as including both the embedder 114and the content provider 116. In other examples, a third-party client(e.g., a media content producer) may only include an embedder 114 andrely on a separate content provider 116 (e.g., a service provider or abroadcaster) to transmit the media content to the consumer device 118and/or presentation device 119. In yet other examples, the embedder 114and/or the content provider 116 may be included within theidentification code service 102.

The example consumer device 118 and presentation device 119 include anyelectronic device capable of presenting audio and/or video to aconsumer. For example, the consumer device 118 can include anycellphone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (“PDA”), mobiledevice, tablet computer, computer, laptop, server, processor, console,gaming system, speaker system, multimedia receiver, etc. The exampleconsumer device 118 includes an application 120 (provided by theidentification code service 102) configured to detect identificationcodes embedded within media content. The example application 120 may usea microphone within the consumer device 118 to identify identificationcodes within audio media content played by the consumer device 118and/or a presentation device 119 that is in proximity to the consumerdevice 118. Responsive to detecting one or more identification codes,the application 120 transmits a message including the detectedidentification codes via the consumer device 118 to the identificationcode manager 108, which notes the detection as an event.

The following sections describe each of the components of theidentification code management environment 100 in more detail.

Identification Code Generator

The example identification code generator 104 is configured to determineor create identification codes for third-party clients. Theidentification code generator 104 provides an interface (e.g., anapplication programmable interface (“API”)) that enables third-partyclients to request an identification code and/or an audio file thatincludes an identification code. The interface is configured to promptthird-party clients for parameters for generating and encoding anidentification code within an audio file (via the identification codeencoder 106). The interface may enable a third-party client to requestmultiple identification codes for the same or different media content.To facilitate the request of multiple identification codes, theinterface may include a feature that enables the third-party client tospecify how many identification codes are to be included within eachaudio file and/or how many identification codes are to be included foreach different media content. The interface may be provided by, forexample, the identification code generator 104 to prompt third-partyclients for information to create identification codes.

The user interface enables a third-party client to specify whether themedia content will be provided to the identification code service 102,whether the third-party client will embed an audio file with anidentification code into media content, and/or whether the third-partyclient will encode and identification code into an audio file and embedthe audio file into media content. It should be appreciated that theidentification code service 102 operates the identification code encoder106 and/or the embedder 114 based on the information provided by thethird-party client. For instance, while not shown in FIG. 1, theidentification code service 102 may use the embedder 114 responsive to athird-party client providing the media content to the identificationcode service 102 (e.g., a third-party selecting to upload an image,upload a video, upload music, or upload a file). In this manner, theidentification code service 102 is configured to provide third-partyclients per request either an identification code, an audio fileincluding an encoded identification code, and/or media content includingan embedded and encoded identification code.

In alternative embodiments, the interface (e.g., the API) may be hostedby the identification code manager 108. In these embodiments, theidentification code manager 108 receives the requests for identificationcodes from the third-party client 112. The identification code manager108 instructs the identification code generator 104 to generate anidentifier for an identification code. The identification code manager108 also instructs the identification code encoder 106 to generate anaudio file including one or more identification codes (using thegenerated identifier) based on the parameters provided by thethird-party client 112. In these alternative embodiments, theidentification code manager 108 may also instruct the embedder 114 toembed an audio file including an identification code into media contentprovided by a third-party client 112.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an example data structure 200 that may storeidentification code parameters provided by a third-party client. Thedata structure 200 includes fields for a requestor name 202 (e.g., anidentifier of a requesting third-party client), a duration during whichan identification code (or an identifier of an identification code) isto be repeated within an audio file 204, an offset 206 specifying astart of a timecode, and a frequency band or channel (or centerfrequency) in which the identification code is to be modulated within anaudio file 208. In some examples, the requestor identifier 202 may beomitted or replaced with a field for an identification code after thecode is generated. It should be appreciated that the data structure 200may include additional fields including, for example, a media contenttype, requester type, duration of audio file, or a link to the mediacontent (e.g., when the third-party client requests that theidentification code service 102 embed the audio file into mediacontent).

Responsive to receiving a request for an identification code, theexample identification code generator 104 determines an identifier foran identification code. The identification code encoder 106 determines atimecode and parity bits for an identification code. As shown in FIG. 3,an example identification code 300 (e.g., a whistle) includes anidentifier field 302, a timecode field 304, and a parity field 306 (forforward error correction). The identifier includes a unique code thatthe identification code generator 104 determines from among a subset ofavailable unique codes. To determine the unique code, the identificationcode generator 104 generates a random number from among the availableunique codes and converts that number into, for example, abase64url-encoded string of 8 characters.

In an embodiment, the identification code generator 104 is part of aRepresentation State Transfer (“RESTful”) web service (and/or aBroadcast Exchange Format (“BXF”)) that includes other geographicallydistributed identification code generators 104. In this embodiment, eachof the identification code generators 104 is assigned a subset ofidentifiers. For example, the identification code generator 104 a may beassigned a first subset of identifiers, which are stored in database 122a and the identification code generator 104 b may be assigned a secondsubset of identifiers, which are stored in database 122 b. The routingof requests from a third-party client to the identification codegenerators 104 may be based on, for example, geographic proximity,network conditions, third-party type, etc. For example, theidentification code service 102 may be configured such that requestsfrom content producers are routed to the identification code generator104 a while requests from broadcasters are routed to the identificationcode generator 104 b. In this manner third-party clients of the sametype are assigned identification code from the same subset, therebymaking identification code management more efficient.

Identification Code Encoder

The example identification code encoder 106 is configured to determine atimecode and parity bits for an identification code based on anidentifier (and/or third-party specified parameters) provided by theidentification code generator 104. In other examples, the identificationcode encoder 106 may also determine a version identifier for anidentification code. The example identification encoder is alsoconfigured to modulate identification codes into an audio file. Theexample identification code encoder 106 may operate within a RESTful webservice that provides distributed (or cloud-based) encoding forthird-party clients. Alternatively, the identification code encoder 106may be implemented on a client server or processor. In this alternativeexample, the identification code encoder 106 may be configured tooperate across different media platforms.

Returning to FIG. 3, the example timecode field is configured to store atimer value based how many times an identifier is to be repeated withinan audio file. As discussed above in conjunction with FIG. 2, athird-party client may specify a duration for an audio file during whichan identifier is repeated. The timecode field is used as a sequentialcounter to identify a position of an identification code within an audiofile. The use of a timecode enables, for example, the identificationcode manager 108 to determine which specific portion (and/or how much)of media content was detected.

For example, a third-party client may specify that an identificationcode is to be repeated every second for 30 seconds. For this request,the identification code generator 104 determines a single identifier.The identification code encoder 106 then creates 30 identification codeswith the same identifier and a different timecode based on a position ofthe identification code with the 30 second audio file. Thus, the firstidentification code may include a timecode of 0 while the lastidentification code may include a timecode of 30. Accordingly, asreferenced herein, an audio file that includes an identification codethat is repeated for a duration may include many differentidentification codes with the same identifier and a different timecode.

In an example implementation, the identifier field is 48 bits, thetimecode field is 18 bits, and the parity field is 66 bits. In thisexample implementation, approximately 280 trillion unique identifiersare possible. This enables the identification codes to be used asdynamic short-lived codes, which may obfuscate managed codes such as,for example, EIDRs and Ad-IDs. The use of these short-livedidentification codes can enhance security and provide an additionallayer of functionality built on top of managed codes. For example, atelevision commercial with a single Ad-ID (e.g., content information)might include different identification codes for each station to whichthe ad is distributed. The use of these different identification codesprovides more visibility regarding the number of views of the ad perstation for the advertiser.

The example identification code encoder 106 encodes an identificationcode according to, for example, a Society of Motion Picture andTelevision Engineers (“SMPTE”) standard or Coalition for InnovativeMedia Measurement (“CIMM”) standard. The identification code encoder 106uses a modulation technique that utilizes multiple carriers in concertwith low symbol rates. The modulation technique, especially whencombined with forward error correction, provides identification codesthat are robust against data corruption.

In an example implementation, the identification code encoder 106modulates identification codes in an audio file to have a data rate of264 bits per second, thereby using no more than 200 Hz of bandwidth. Theidentification code encoder 106 may modulate the identification codesusing, for example, coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing(“COFDM”), which uses multiple subcarriers that each pass a portion ofan identification code. The identification code encoder 106 may modulateeach subcarrier using a separate modulation method. For example, theidentification code encoder 106 may modulate one or more subcarriersusing differential quadrature phase-shift keying (“DQPSK”) with Graycoding. The identification code encoder 106 may also modulatesubcarriers using frequency-shift keying (“FSK”), amplitude-shift keying(“ASK”), quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”), etc.

In the example implementation, the identification code encoder 106separates each subcarrier by 8 Hz. In other examples, the separation maybe lesser or greater than 8 Hz (e.g., 2 Hz, 20 Hz, 50 Hz, etc.). In thisexample implementation, the identification code encoder 106 isconfigured to use 22 subcarriers for a total bandwidth usage of 168 Hz.In other examples, fewer or additional subcarriers may be used, therebychanging the bandwidth usage. The identification code encoder 106 mayalso use additional subcarriers for synchronization and/or to provide aguard band, thereby increasing the bandwidth usage.

Further, in this example implementation, the identification code encoder106 may configure a baud rate for each subcarrier to be six symbols persecond with each symbol including two bits of the identification code.The combined bit rate of an embedded identification code is accordingly264 bits per second. As discussed above, each identification codeincludes 132 bits of data (48 bits for the identifier, 18 bits for thetimecode, and 66 parity bits). This configuration enables theidentification code encoder 106 to encode two identification codes persecond.

In addition to modulating identification codes into an analog signal,the example identification code encoder 106 is configured to generate anaudio file based on information (e.g., duration, offset, channel)provided by the third-party client. For example, the identification codeencoder 106 generates an audio file of a specified length in secondsbased on a duration provided by the third-party client. The duration maybe as short as one second and a long as three days.

As discussed above, the identification code encoder 106 createsidentification codes with different timecodes and the same identifierbased on a request from a third-party client. The number ofidentification codes with different timecodes is based on the duration.The example identification code encoder 106 is configured to determinean order of the identification codes (with the same identifier) based onthe timecode and sequence the identification codes within the audio fileaccordingly.

The example identification code encoder 106 is also configured to placeidentification codes within an audio file based on an offset provided bya third-party client. The duration specifies a time offset from abeginning of the audio file from which identification codes are tobegin. For example, a third-party client may request an audio file for a30 second advertisement. However, the third-party client may only wantto have identification codes between the 10 and 20 second marks of theadvertisement. To accomplish this, the third-party client requests thatthe audio file have a 10 second duration for the identification codes,and a 10 second offset. The identification code encoder 106 accordinglycreates a 10 second audio file with encoded identification codes havingtimecodes that begin at 10 seconds and conclude at 20 seconds. Thethird-party client may then embed the audio file into the media contentbetween the 10 and 20 second marks. Thus, the detection of one of theidentification codes enables, for example, the identification codemanager 108 to determine at what time in the media content theidentification code was detected based on the time code (e.g., the 15second mark of the media content).

It should be noted that in the above example the third-party clientspecified a duration for the identification codes. However, in otherexamples, the third-party client may also specify a duration of theaudio file and a duration for the identification codes. In these otherexamples, the identification code encoder 106 creates an audio file ofthe specified duration with identification codes repeating for thespecified duration.

The example identification code encoder 106 is configured to determine afrequency band (or center frequency) to modulate the identificationcodes based on a specified channel. In instances where a centerfrequency is specified, the identification code encoder 106 modulates anidentification code using frequencies that are, for example +/−100 Hzfrom the specified center frequency. FIG. 17 shows a diagram of examplefrequency ranges for different channels. It should be appreciated thatthe ability to modulate on different channels enables the identificationcode service 102 to remain flexible by enabling run-time configurations.This channel configuration also enables multiple identification codes tobe layered within the same piece of media content, with eachidentification code occupying a different channel.

In some instances, the third-party client may specify the channel (e.g.,select one of the channels shown in FIG. 17 that are inaudible to humanhearing). In other examples, the identification code encoder 106 maydetermine a channel based on a third-party client type (e.g.,identification codes for content producers are modulated on a firstchannel and identification codes for broadcasters are modulated on asecond channel) and/or the third-party client (e.g., identificationcodes for the same third-party client are modulated on the samechannel). Additionally or alternatively, the identification code encoder106 may select the channel based on the media content delivery type. Forinstance, 17.1 kHz is considered safe for web-based low pass filters.Accordingly, the identification code encoder 106 may select this channelfor identification codes that are to be embedded within Internet orweb-based media content or media content to be transmitted through theInternet.

The example identification code encoder 106 is configured to transmit anaudio file including one or more identification codes to a third-partyclient. The audio file may include a pulse-coded modulated WaveformAudio File Format (“WAV”), AC-3 format, advanced audio coding (“AAC”)format, MP3, etc. In some instances, the third-party client may specifythe audio file type (e.g., via interface 200 of FIG. 2). Alternatively,the identification code encoder 106 may select an audio file type basedon the media content type that is to include the modulatedidentification code.

Embedder

The example embedder 114 of FIG. 1 is configured to merge or otherwiseinclude an audio file having an identification code with media content.The example embedder 114 may be implemented via software and/or firmwareenabling third-party clients to embed audio files into media content.Additionally or alternatively, the identification code service 102 mayinclude the embedder 114 to embed an audio file into media content forthird-party clients that do not have the capability. The exampleembedder 114 may transmit a message to, for example, the identificationcode manager 108 indicating that an identification code has been addedto media content.

As discussed, the audio file includes one or more inaudible tonescorresponding to one or more modulated identification codes. In someembodiments, the audio file has a sample rate of 48 kHz and a bit depthof 16 bits. The example embedder 114 is configured to embed the audiofile based on the media content type and/or the transmission step of themedia content.

For example, content producer third-party clients may embed audio fileswith identification codes during the editing process of media content.The example embedder 114 may impart an audio file into a timeline of themedia content as a separate audio track. The embedder 114 is configuredto mix the separate audio track having the identification code withother audio tracks of the media content. Thus, when the media content isrendered, the audio in the final output will include the modulatedidentification code regardless of the file format or codec used.

The example embedder 114 may also be located downstream from mediacontent production. For example broadcaster third-party clients mayaccess media content via an embedded Audio Engineering Society (“AES”)stream of a serial data interface (“SDI”) link. The example embedder 114is configured to insert a new identification code and/or overwrite analready embedded identification code. To insert an identification code,the example embedder 114 determines the frequency or channel of themodulated identification code, determines an identification code doesnot already exist at that frequency or channel, and writes or insertsthe modulated identification code into the downstream media content inan audio format of the rendered audio of the media content.

To overwrite an identification code, the example embedder 114 uses anotch filter (or any other band-stop filter) on the appropriate channelto remove the previous identification code from the rendered audio. Theexample embedder 114 then writes or inserts the modulated identificationcode into the downstream media content in an audio format of therendered audio of the media content. The example embedder 114 alsotransmits a message to the identification code manager indicating atleast one of the removed identification code and the insertedidentification code. The third-party client may also provide contentinformation associated with the inserted identification code.

Content Provider

The example content provider 116 is configured to transmit media contentto one or more consumer devices 118. The content provider 116 mayinclude a broadcaster, a service provider, a content provider, etc. Thecontent provider 116 receives media content with an identification codefrom the embedder 114. After receiving the media content, the provider116 is configured to convert the media content into a format fortransmission. The content provider 116 may transmit the media contentfor multicast broadcast to consumer devices. Alternatively, the contentprovider 116 may store the media content to a database for unicasttransmission per request from a consumer device.

Decoding Application

The example application 120 is configured to detect identification codesembedded within media content and generate events for the identificationcode tracker 110. The example application 120 may be installed on theconsumer device 118 responsive to a consumer registering with theidentification code service 102. For instance, a consumer may use abrowser on the consumer device 118 to navigate to a webpage hosted bythe identification code service 102 at, for example, the identificationcode manager 108. The webpage may prompt the consumer for informationincluding, contact information, demographic information, geographicinformation, consumer device information, etc. After receiving thisinformation, the identification code manager 108 transmits theapplication 120 to the consumer device 118. In other examples, theconsumer may request the application 120 from, for example, anapplication store.

The example application 120 is compatible with an operating system ofthe consumer device 118 (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows, etc.). In additionto being standalone, the application 120 may be included within asoftware development kit (“SDK”) that is integrated with anotherapplication for detecting and analyzing media content. For example, somethird-party clients may have their own application that is configured tooperate specifically in conjunction with media content associated withthe third-party clients. In this instance, the application 120 may beincluded within the application of the third-party client.

The example application 120 may be configured to operate as a backgroundprocess on the consumer device 118 monitoring digital and/or audio mediacontent for identification codes. Upon detecting a code, the application120 may transmit the identification code to the identification codeservice 102. The application 120 may alternatively queue detectedidentification codes and transmit the queued codes at predetermined timeperiods (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, etc.).

In another example embodiment, the application 120 may instruct theconsumer device 118 to wake or start the application 120 upon theconsumer device 118 detecting that media content is being played byeither the consumer device 118 or another device (e.g., presentationdevice 119). In this example, the application 120 may be turned off whenthe consumer device 118 is not playing media content so that theapplication 120 does not consume more battery power and processes of theconsumer device than needed. For example, upon detecting that a consumerhas opened a media content player or the consumer device 118 isdownloading media content, the consumer device 118 may start theapplication 120. In another example, the consumer device 118 mayactivate the application 120 responsive to detecting audio signaturescorresponding to media content (as opposed to audio signaturescorresponding to conversations or environmental noise).

The example application 120 is configured to detect identification codeswithin a digital stream of data received from the content provider 116and/or detect identification codes within analog audio signalstransmitted through a speaker of the consumer device 118. It should beappreciated that the digital detection may be used when the consumerdevice 118 detects that a consumer is using earphones and sound is notbeing transmitted through a speaker. Alternatively, the application 120performs both digital and analog detection so as to detectidentification codes within media played on the consumer device 118 andto detect identification codes played by other presentation devices 119(e.g., televisions) that are within (listening or detection) proximityof the consumer device 118.

It should also be appreciated that the application 120 may beimplemented upstream from the consumer device 118. For example, thecontent provider 116 may include the application 120 (or functionalityof the application) to digitally detect identification codes. Thecontent provider 116 may pass media content through the application 120prior to transmission to the consumer device 118. This upstreamidentification enables the identification code tracker 110 to displayhow (and when/where) media content is propagated through a broadcast ortransmission framework.

The example application 120 is configured to digitally detect anidentification code by decoding an audio track of the media content. Thedecoding may be performed on at least a half second of audio to make anappropriate detection. The application 120 uses, for example, fastFourier transforms to detect a presence of frequencies in one or morespecified channels. The application 120 is configured to demodulate theaudio by reversing the process used by the identification code encoder106 if a frequency is present. The application 120 reads the demodulateddata to determine the identification code including an identifier andtimecode. After determining the identifier and timecode, the application120 then transmits a message to the identification code service 102including the identification code.

The example application 120 is also configured to detect identificationcodes included within analog signals (e.g., sound waves). The exampleapplication 120 is configured to determine an analog identification codeby analyzing sound waves received by a microphone of the consumer device118. The example application 120 converts the sound waves into a digitalsignal so that the identification code is demodulated using theprocedure described above in conjunction with the digital detection(including the sampling of the signal to determine the presence of anidentification code). The example application 120 also performs errorcorrection on the demodulated audio to remove or filter noise.

It should be appreciated that the analog detection enables virtually anydevice with a microphone to function as a detector of identificationcodes. This enables, for example, a smartphone to detect identificationcodes of media content not only played on the smartphone but any mediacontent exposed to the consumer (e.g., media content played by atelevision, media content played within a store, media content played ona computer, etc.).

The example application 120 is also configured to generate events. Asdiscussed, the events may include data of a detected identification codeand/or content information received from the identification code manager108. The event may include, for example, a time/date an identificationcode was detected, an identifier of the consumer device 118 (and/or ausername of the consumer), content information (e.g., metadata), etc. Ininstances where the application 120 performs an action (or causes theconsumer device 118 to perform an action) based on content information,the application 120 may also include information regarding the action(e.g., an indication a webpage was accessed or a file of contentinformation was played).

The example application 120 transmits messages including the events tothe identification code tracker 110. The example application 120 maytransmits an event after the event is generated or queue events andtransmit the queued events at a specified time. In some instances, theapplication 120 may transmit events during periods of low data usage bythe consumer device 118.

Identification Code Manager

The example identification code manager 108 is configured to manageidentification codes. As discussed, identification codes are relativelylow data objects that include only an identifier, a timecode, and paritybits. The example identification code manager 108 enables third-partyclients to associate content information with identification codes andstore this association in a database 124. The identification codemanager 108 enables content information of any size and/or type to beassociated and stored in conjunction with identification codes. Theidentification code manager 108 also enables third-party clients toupdate the content information at any time. This flexibility enablesthird-party clients to dynamically assign content information toidentification codes without limitation, even after identification codeshave been modulated and embedded within media content.

The example identification code manager 108 receives messages indicatingnew identification codes from, for example, the identification codegenerator 104, the identification code encoder 106, and/or the embedder114. The messages may include, for example, a copy of the identificationcode (including an identifier, timecode, and/or parity bits), adate/time the identification code was created, a third-party client thatrequested the identification code, etc. After receiving a message, theidentification code manager 108 stores the contents of the message to adata structure within the database 124, which is accessible bythird-party clients.

The example identification code manager 108 is configured to receivecontent information from third-party clients (e.g., the third-partyclient 112 of FIG. 1). FIG. 4 shows an example interface 400 thatenables a third-party client to upload content information to theidentification code manager 108. As shown, the content information mayinclude a file, a video, an image, music, a gift card, a hyperlink to aweb service, or a link to a social media application. For example, thecontent information could include bonus content associated with mediacontent viewed by a consumer.

The content information may also include metadata associated with themedia content in which a corresponding identification code is embedded.For example, the content information may include a secondary identifiersuch as, for example, an EIDR, Ad-ID, and/or a SMPTE-Unique MaterialIdentifier (“UMID”). The content information may also include anexpanded media content description, an entire EIDR record, contenttitle, synopsis, length, characters, product being advertised, etc. Thecontent information may also include promotional codes, coupons, mediafiles or other items that may be transmitted to a consumer device 118that detects an identification code.

The example identification code manager 108 may host a web applicationthat enables third-party clients to provide and/or update contentinformation, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the identification codemanager 108 may host a RESTful web service that enables third-partyclients to provide and/or update content information. It should beappreciated that the identification code manager 108 provides athird-party client access to only identification codes requested by thethird-party client. Thus, the identification code manager 108 prevents athird-party client from viewing identification codes and/or contentinformation provided by another third-party client (unless authorizationis provided).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show exemplary respective data structures 500 and 600 ofidentification codes and content information stored by theidentification code manager 108 within the database 124. The datastructures 500 and 600 include fields for identification codes, contentinformation, and third-party client (e.g., requestor). The exemplarydata structures 500 and 600 also include a field for a flag to indicatewhether the content information is to be transmitted to a consumerdevice and a field for a flag to indicate whether the identificationcode is active. The consumer device field prevents, for example, EIDRs(or other sensitive content information) from being transmitted tounauthorized third-parties. It should be appreciated that in otherembodiments the data structures 500 and 600 may include additional orfewer fields.

As discussed, the identification code manager 108 creates a new entrywhen a message is received that includes a newly generatedidentification code. The identification code includes an identifier anda timecode. The example identification code manager 108 stores thetimecode so that a third-party client may use multiple identificationcodes with the same identifier within the same media content butassociate different content information based on the timecode. Forinstance, a third-party client may request an audio file where the first30 seconds include an identification code with an identifier and a firsttimecode (or set of timecodes) and the last 3 seconds includes anidentification code the same identifier and a second time code (or setof timecodes). The third-party client may indicate that the firsttimecode (or set of timecodes) corresponds to first EIDR contentinformation and the second timecode (or set of timecodes) corresponds tosecond EIDR content information. Alternatively, instead of providingsecond EIDR content information, the third-party client may specify thatthe second timecode (or set of timecodes) corresponds to a hyperlink tobe transmitted to a consumer device.

The identification code accordingly enables a third-party client totrack which consumers viewed media content while also specifying contentinformation to transmit to the consumers within the same audio fileusing two different identification codes modulated on the same channel.Such a configuration may, for example, enable a third-party client todetermine which consumers initially viewed media content and provide theconsumers that finished viewing the media content with contentinformation. It should be appreciated that the identification codeservice 102 provides third-party clients with the flexibility to encodedifferent identification codes within the same or different audio files,at the same or different channel, and/or with the same or differentidentifiers and/or timecodes based on the preference of the third-partyclients. For example, one third-party client may desire to encode allidentification codes at a specific channel while another third-partyclient may desire to encode identification codes corresponding tosecondary identifiers at one channel while encoding identification codescorresponding to consumer-based content information at a second channel.

Returning to FIGS. 5 and 6, the identification code manager 108 providesthe third-party clients access to the data structures 500 and 600 toprovide and update content information. For example, in FIG. 5 the‘Content Creator 1’ third-party client locates the ‘ACB3341R’identification code and adds the EIDR content information. The ‘ContentCreator 1’ third-party client also specifies that the EIDR contentinformation is not to be transmitted to a consumer device and is to beactive. The ‘Content Creator 1’ third-party client also provideshyperlink ‘www.contentsite.com’ content information for the ‘ACD3341S’identification code and provides ‘promo code 445’ content informationfor the ‘ACE6HI0P’ content information. At a later time, the ‘ContentCreator 1’ third-party client may change the website and promo code.Instead of having to generate a new identification code and modulate thecode into media content for redistribution, the ‘Content Creator 1’third-party client only has to access the database 124 and update thecontent information. As shown in data structure 600 of FIG. 6, theidentification code manager 108 enables the ‘Content Creator 1’third-party client to change the website to ‘www.contentsiteupdate.com’and the promo code to 534.

The example identification code manager 108 may organize theidentification codes within the data structures 500 and 600 in ahierarchical manner. Alternatively, the third-party client may organizethe identification codes. For example, for a third-party client, theidentification codes may be organized based upon media content type at ahighest level, program name, at a next highest level, broadcast date, ata next highest level, and broadcast time, at a lowest level. Such aconfiguration enables a third-party client to quickly access andefficiently manage identification codes without undue searching. Theidentification code manager 108 may determine hierarchy based on, forexample, identification code identifier, timecode, secondary identifier,media content descriptor, etc.

It should be appreciated that the identification code manager 108 inconjunction with the rest of the identification code service 102provides a single mechanism that can be used to retrieve data about anytype of media content. A third-party client only has to access theidentification code service to define content information and view whichidentification codes have been detected. Without this layer ofabstraction, a known decoder with conditional logic has to accessesmultiple registries (e.g., an Ad-ID registry or an EIDR registry) todetermine content information. The identification code enables contentinformation to be easily updated regardless of the emergence of newsecondary identifiers or modification of current secondary identifiers.

In addition to enabling third-party clients to manage contentinformation assigned to identification codes, the example identificationcode manager 108 is configured to manage the detection of identificationcodes and the transmission of content information to consumer devices118. As discussed, the application 120 on the consumer device 118 isconfigured to transmit one or more messages including detectedidentification codes. The identification code manager 108 is configuredto receive the messages and access the data structures 500 and 600within the database 124. The identification code manager 108 referencesthe detected identification codes to content information (and theconsumer device flag). Conditioned on a flag indicating that the contentinformation is to be transmitted (in addition to authentication providedby a consumer device 118), the example identification code manager 108transmits the content information to the consumer device 118 thatprovided the identification code. The identification code manager 108may also monitor the consumer device 118 or receive indications from theapplication 120 that the consumer device 118 used or processed thereceived content information. In addition to or alternative to theconsumer device flag, the identification code manager 108 may alsorestrict (or select) which content information is provided to a consumerdevice 118 based, for example, on device type, location of the device,consumer demographic information, etc.

For example, FIGS. 7 and 8 show diagrams of content information beingdisplayed on consumer device 118. FIG. 7 shows an example where thecontent information includes a hyperlink and a message requesting theconsumer to access the hyperlink. The application 120 may monitorif/when the consumer accesses the hyperlink and report the activity tothe identification code manager 108 and/or identification code tracker110. FIG. 8 shows an example where the content information includes apromotional code. The application 120 may monitor whether the consumeruses the promotion code on the consumer device 118. Alternatively, athird-party client that processes the promotion code may transmit anindication to the identification code manager 108 and/or theidentification code tracker 110 of the use of the promotional code.

In instances where the content information is not to be transmitted to aconsumer device, the identification code manager 108 creates an event ofthe detection and transmits the event to the identification code tracker110. As mentioned above, an event includes a detection of anidentification code and may include content information provided by athird-party client (e.g., EIDR), which provides more useful ordescriptive information about the detected media content. The event mayalso include information about the consumer and/or consumer device thatdetected/heard the media content. As discussed, the identification codemanager 108 may store the consumer's information provided atregistration to the database 124 for association with detectedidentification codes to provide a profile associated with the detection.

While discussion has been focused on detection by consumer devices, theidentification code manager 108 may also receive messages ofidentification codes detected upstream from, for example, application120 included within broadcast and distribution hardware. Theidentification code manager 108 may create events for upstream detectionand indicate the party or entity that processed or distributed the mediacontent. Alternatively, the identification code manager 108 may receivea message including an event from an upstream entity that detected theidentification code. Such information may be valuable to contentproducers to see how (when and/or where) their media content isdistributed and/or broadcast.

Identification Code Tracker

The example identification code tracker 110 is configured to compile andgenerate reports based on events provided by the application 120 and/orthe identification code manager 108. The example identification codetracker 110 makes aggregated data reported within events graphicallyavailable for the third-party client associated with the detectedidentification codes (or other subscribing third-party clients). Thegraphical display may be context-based so as to be beneficial to thereceiving client. For example, content producer third-party clients maybe interested in knowing which regions of the United States viewed mediacontent while a broadcaster third-party client may be interested inknowing demographics of consumers that viewed the same media content.

It should be appreciated that the identification code tracker 110 isconfigured to report detected identification codes throughout the code'slifecycle. Accordingly, the identification code tracker 110 may report,for example, detected identification codes included within media contentstored on a digital video recorder every time the media content isreplayed. This configuration enables third-party clients to view howmedia content is consumed over time in addition to initial broadcast.

The example identification code tracker 110 is configured to updategraphical indications of events in real-time. The identification codetracker 110 may structure the events so that data may be displayed in ahierarchical manner. For example, a map may display metrics byadvertiser, parent company, prefix, time/date, consumer device data,demographic data, etc. In some instances, the identification codetracker 110 may transmit events and/or data aggregated within events tothird-party clients. The data may be provided within the JavaScriptObject Notation (“JSON”) format to enable offline processing by thethird-party clients.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show examples of data reported by events graphicallydisplayed by the identification code tracker 110. For example, FIG. 9shows a report of a number of detected identification codes for athird-party client. In this example, the third-party client isassociated with three different identification codes for threeadvertisements. The example identification code tracker 110 makes thedata available by compiling events associated with the threeidentification codes and rendering data for display within interface 900based on the compiled data.

FIG. 10 shows a report 1000 for a third-party client of allidentification codes detected during a time period. The report 1000includes a total number of identification codes detected, a number ofmedia content viewings, a number of consumer clicks of contentinformation, and a number of media content muted by consumers. Thereport 1000 also includes identification code detections per intervalsof time, consumer device metrics, demographic metrics, and geographicmetrics associated with the detection.

The example identification code tracker 110 generates the report bycompiling events and compiling the information included within theevents. The example identification code tracker 110 may also analyze thecompiled information from the events, perform calculations on thecompiled information, and/or rank the aggregated/analyzed/calculatedinformation to generate data for the report 110. As shown in FIG. 10,the graphical indications can include numeric values, a line chart, apie chart, a bar chart, a map, etc. In addition to the data shown withinFIG. 10, the example identification code tracker 110 may analyze orprocess event data to show identification code detections based onlocation, city, postal code, country, region, area code, metro code,latitude, longitude, time zone, IP address, wireless (or Internet)carrier, country code, country name, operator name, mobile network code,mobile country code, consumer device type, operating system, operatingsystem version, manufacturer, model, screen size, screen resolution,RAM, storage size, processor manufacturer, processor model, processorspeed, number of processor cores, processor architecture, gender, dateof birth, relationship status, income, education level, languagepreference, number of children, ethnicity, religion, occupation,hobbies, interests, and/or sexual orientation.

The example identification code tracker 110 (and/or the identificationcode manager 108) may publish events to subscribing third-party clients.For instance, the identification code tracker 110 may include aninterface (e.g., an API) that enables third-party clients to subscribeto events that include, for example, identification codes requested bythe respective client. A third-party client may subscribe by providingan address (e.g., a callback uniform resource locator (“URL”)) to whichmessages including events are transmitted. Alternatively, a third-partyclient may use the WebSocket protocol to maintain a persistentconnection with the identification code service 102.

The example identification code tracker 110 may enable a third-partyclient to specify filter criteria such that the client is only notifiedof events with specific attributes. For example, a third-party clientmay provide one or more EIDRs. The identification code tracker 110determines which of the events are associated with the specified EIDRsand transmits messages including those events to the third-party client.In another example, a third-party client may subscribe to events thatare associated with Ad-IDs having a certain prefix. It should beappreciated that the filter criteria is limitless based on theinformation included within events (e.g., broadcast channel, geographiclocation, demographic information, detection time/date, etc.).

The publication of events by the identification code tracker 110 enablessubscribing third-party clients to determine precisely whenidentification codes are detected and/or how content information isprocessed. A subscribing third-party client may use their own tools tofurther process and analyze the data included within the events. In someinstances, the third-party client may use analysis and/or reportsprovided by the identification code tracker 110 in conjunction with theclient's own analysis.

Dataflow of the Identification Code Service

FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing example data flow 1100 and 1200 inconjunction with the identification code service 102 of FIG. 1 disclosedherein. The data flows 1100 and 1200 include creation of anidentification code, inclusion of the identification code within mediacontent, detection of the identification code within media content, andprocessing performed based on the detection. The data flow 1100 beginswhen a third party client 112 (in this example, the embedder 114)transmits a request message 1102 requesting an identification code. Therequest message 1102 includes, for example, an identifier of thethird-party client, an indication the third-party client desires toreceive an audio file with the identification code, and/or a type ofmedia content associated with the identification code.

After receiving the message 1102, the identification code generator 104creates an identifier (WID) and transmits a message 1104 to theidentification code encoder 106 including the identifier (WID). Afterreceiving the message 1104, the identification code encoder 106generates an identification code (ID Code) based on the identifier (WID)and modulates the identification code into an audio file 1108 (e.g.,Audio File). The identification code encoder 106 creates a record of theidentification code within a data structure and transmits a message 1106to the identification code manager 108 identifying the newly createdidentification code (ID Code).

The identification code encoder 106 also transmits a message includingthe audio file 1108 to the embedder 114 of the third-party client.Alternatively, the audio file may be transferred directly via a filetransfer protocol. The example embedder 114 adds or combines the audiofile into media content (e.g., Content) 1110. The embedder 114 transmitsthe media content 1110 to the content provider 116 for distribution. Theexample embedder 114 also accesses the identification code manager 108and transmits a message 1112 including content information (e.g.,Content Info) that is to be stored in conjunction with theidentification code (ID Code).

The example content provider 116 transmits the media content 1110 to theconsumer device 118 via, for example the Internet or a cable service. Anapplication 120 on the consumer device 118 detects and decodes theidentification code (ID Code) included within the media content(Content). The application 120 causes the consumer device 118 totransmit a message 1114 that includes the detected identification code(ID Code). In this example, the identification code manager 108 receivesthe message 1114 and determines that content information is to betransmitted to the consumer device 108. The identification code manager108 accordingly transmits one or more messages 1116 (e.g., ID CodeResponse) that includes the content information. The application 120 onthe consumer device 118 receives the content information and generates acorresponding event. The application 120 transmits a message 1118 to theidentification code tracker 110 including the event and associated data.As discussed above, the identification code tracker 110 makes the eventgraphically available to the third-party client.

FIG. 12 shows another flow diagram. In this example, the contentprovider 116 and the embedder 114 request identification codes. Forinstance, the embedder 114 may include a content producer third-partyclient and the content provider 116 includes a broadcaster third partyclient. Similar to FIG. 11, the embedder 114 transmits a message 1202including a request for an identification code. In response to themessage 1202, the identification code generator 104 determines orgenerates identifier (WID1). The identification code generator 104transmits a message 1204 to the identification code encoder 106including the identifier (WID1) in addition to audio file parametersprovided by the embedder 114 (e.g., the third-party client).

The example identification code encoder 106 generates an identificationcode (ID Code1) based on the identifier (WID1) and transmits a message1206 to the identification code manager 108 identifying the newlydetermined or created identification code (ID Code1). The identificationcode encoder 106 also modulates the identification code (ID Code1) intoan audio file (Audio File1) according to the specified parameters andtransmits a message 1208 including the audio file to the embedder 114.The embedder 114 adds or combines the audio file into media content(e.g., Content) 1212. The embedder 114 transmits the media content 1212to the content provider 116 for distribution. The example embedder 114also accesses the identification code manager 108 and transmits amessage 1210 including content information (e.g., Content Info1) that isto be stored in conjunction with the identification code (ID Code1).

In this example embodiment, the content provider 116 also transmits amessage 1214 requesting an identification code. The identification codegenerator 104 determines or creates a second identifier (WID2) andtransmits a message 1216 including the identifier (and specifiedparameters) to the identification code encoder 106. The exampleidentification code encoder 106 generates an identification code (IDCode2) based on the identifier (WID2) and transmits a message 1218 tothe identification code manager 108 identifying the newly determined orcreated identification code (ID Code2). The identification code encoder106 also modulates the second identification code (WID2) into an audiofile (Audio File2) according to the specified parameters and transmits amessage 1220 including the audio file to the content provider 116.

The content provider 116 adds the audio file (Audio File2) to thecontent 1212 as described above in conjunction with FIG. 1 with regardto embedding identification codes downstream from media contentproduction. The content provider 116 transmits a message 1222 to theidentification code manager 108 including content information (ContentInfo2) to be associated with the second identification code (ID Code2).The content provider 116 also transmits the media content to theconsumer device 118.

An application 120 on the consumer device 118 detects and decodes theidentification codes (ID Code1, ID Code2) included within the mediacontent (Content). The application 120 causes the consumer device 118 totransmit a message 1224 that includes the detected identification codes(ID Code1, ID Code2). In this example, the identification code manager108 receives the message 1224 and determines that content informationassociated with the identification code ID Code2 is to be transmitted tothe consumer device 118. The identification code manager 108 accordinglytransmits one or more messages 1226 (e.g., ID Code2 Response) thatincludes the content information. The example identification codemanager 108 also determines that an event is to be generated based onthe detection of identification code (ID Code1). The identification codemanager 108 accordingly generates an event based on the detection andtransmits a message 1228 to the identification code tracker 110including the event. Additionally, the application 120 transmits amessage 1230 to the identification code tracker 110 including the eventand associated data corresponding to the content information within themessage 1226. The identification code tracker 110 makes the eventsgraphically available to the respective third-party clients. Forexample, the data of the event associated with the ID Code1 is madeavailable to the embedder 114 third-party client and the data of theevent associated with the ID Code2 is made available to the contentprovider 116 third-party client.

Flowchart of the Example Process

FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate flow diagrams showing example procedures 1300,1350, 1400, and 1450 to create, manage, detect, and track identificationcodes, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.Although the procedures 1300, 1350, 1400, and 1450 are described withreference to the flow diagram illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 15, it will beappreciated that many other methods of performing the steps associatedwith the procedures 1300, 1350, 1400, and 1450 may be used. For example,the order of many of the blocks may be changed, certain blocks may becombined with other blocks, and many of the blocks described areoptional. Further, the actions described in procedures 1300, 1350, 1400,and 1450 may be performed among multiple devices including, for examplethe identification code generator 104, the identification code encoder106, the identification code manager 108, the identification codetracker 110 (collectively the identification code service 102), theembedder 114, the content provider 116, and/or the consumer device 118.

The example procedure 1300 of FIG. 13 operates on, for example, theidentification code generator 104, the identification code encoder 106,and the identification code manager 108 of FIG. 1. The procedure 1300begins when the identification code service 102 receives a message 1301from a third-party client 112 including a request for an identificationcode (block 1302). The message 1301 includes, for example, a request foran audio file with one or more identification codes with the sameidentifier and parameters for the audio file. The identification codeservice 102 determines one or more identification codes including anidentifier and timecode(s) (block 1304).

The example identification code service 102 then encodes the one or moreidentification codes into an audio file 1305 based on the parametersprovided by the third-party client 112 (block 1306). The exampleidentification code service 102 transmits the audio file 1305 to thethird-party client (block 1308), thereby enabling the third-party clientto embed the audio file 1305 into media content. The exampleidentification code service 102 also stores the generated identificationcodes to a database (block 1310). The example identification codeservice 102 further stores content information 1311 received from thethird-party client 112 in conjunction with the identification codes(block 1312). At this point, the example procedure 1300 ends.Alternatively, the procedure 1300 may return to block 1312 if thethird-party client 112 provides updated content information 1311 orblock 1302 if another request for an identification code is received.

The example procedure 1350 operates on, for example, the embedder 114and the content provider 116 of the third-party client 112 of FIG. 1.The procedure 1350 begins when the third-party client 112 transmits amessage 1301 to the identification code service 102 for anidentification code (block 1352). The message 1301 may include a requestfor an audio file. In other embodiments, the message 1301 may include arequest for just the identification code or the message 1301 may includethe media content to which the identification code is to be embedded. Itshould be appreciated that the steps performed by the third-party client112 changes based on the type of request. For instance, theidentification code service 102 embeds an identification code into mediacontent instead of the third-party client 112 when the third-partyclient 112 provides the media content in conjunction with the requestfor the identification code.

Returning to the procedure 1350, the third-party client 112 receives anaudio file 1305 (per request) from the identification code service 102(block 1354). The third-party client 112 then embeds the audio file withthe identification code(s) into media content 1355 (block 1356). Thethird-party client 112 may also determine whether additionalidentification codes are desired for the media content (block 1358). Thethird-party client 112 requests more identification codes (and embedsthe corresponding audio files into the media content) if additionalidentification codes are desired (block 1352).

However, if no other identification codes are needed, the third-partyclient 112 transmits the media content 1355 to a downstream distributorand/or broadcaster (block 1360). The example third-party client 112 alsodetermines content information 1311 that is to be associated with eachof the identification codes included within the media content 1355(block 1362). The third-party client 112 transmits or otherwise providesthe identification code service 102 with the content information 1311(block 1364).

The third-party client 112 may determine that at least some of thecontent information 1311 is to be updated or changed (block 1366).Conditioned on making this determination, the third-party client 112transmits the updated or changes content information 1311 to theidentification code service 102. The identification code service 102accordingly uses this updated or changed content information 1311 whenan identification code is detected. The example procedure 1350 ends ifthe third-party client does not need to update or change the contentinformation. Alternatively, the example procedure 1350 may not end untilthe third-party client 112 deactivates the generated identificationcodes.

Turning to FIGS. 14 and 15, the example procedure 1400 operates on, forexample, the identification code manager 108 and the identification codetracker 110 of FIG. 1. The procedure 1400 begins when the identificationcode service 102 receives a request message 1401 to register a consumerwith the identification code tracking service (block 1402). Responsiveto the message 1401, the identification code service 102 transmits, forexample, a web form 1403, to the consumer device 118 promoting theconsumer for registration information (e.g., home address, demographicinformation, device information, etc.) (block 1404). The prompt may alsobe provided via an interface or webpage. The example identification codeservice 102 receives the consumer information 1405 from the consumerdevice 118 and stores this information (block 1406).

After the consumer is registered, the identification code service 102transmits an application 120 to the consumer device (block 1408). Insome alternative embodiments, the identification code service 102 maytransmit the application 120 before registration, which prompts theconsumer to register to enable the application 120 to operate. In thesealternative embodiments, a third-party app provider may provide theapplication 120 instead of the identification code service 120 (or theapplication 120 may be included within an application of a third-partyclient).

Some time later, the identification code service 102 receives a message1409 including identification codes detected by the consumer device 118.The message 1409 may include one identification code or a plurality ofidentification codes queued by the consumer device 118 and transmittedat a specified time (block 1410). The example identification codeservice 102 determines content information associated with the receivedidentification code(s) (block 1412). The identification code service 102also determines whether any of the content information is to betransmitted to the consumer device 118 (block 1414). The identificationcode service 102 may make the determination based, for example, on aflag specified by a third-party client, the contents of the information,etc. For instance, the identification code service 102 may be programmedto determine that EIDRs and Ad-IDs are not to be transmitted to consumerdevices. Alternatively, the identification code service 102 transmitsthe associated content information to the consumer device 118 responsiveto receiving the identification code.

The identification code service 102 transmits content information 1415to the consumer device 118 that is specified or determined to be for theconsumer (block 1416). The identification code service 102 may receive amessage 1417 including feedback regarding the processing or execution ofthe content information 1415 (or the content information 1415 itself) bythe consumer device 118. The identification code service 102 stores thefeedback as an event (block 1418). The identification code service 102also stores content information not destined for the consumer device 118as an event (block 1420). The event may include data such as, forexample, the content information, the identification code, andregistration information provided by the consumer.

The example identification code service 102 next makes the event(s) (ordata associated with the events) available to a third-party clientassociated with the detected identification codes (block 1422). Forexample, the identification code service 102 may aggregate data from theevents with other data from events associated with the sameidentification codes (and/or related identification codes with a same orsimilar identifier), perform statistical analyses on the aggregateddata/events, and graphically display the results of the statisticalanalyses. The identification code service 102 may also publish/transmita message including the event to a subscribing third-party client. Theexample process 1400 returns to receiving additional identificationcodes to further add to the graphical representations of the events.

The example procedure 1450 of FIGS. 14 and 15 operates on the consumerdevice 118 and/or an application 120 within the consumer device 118. Theprocedure 1450 begins when the consumer device 118 transmits a requestmessage 1401 to the identification code service 102 (block 1452). Inresponse to transmitting the message 1401, the consumer device 118receives a message 1403 requesting consumer information. The consumerdevice 118 receives the information from the consumer and transmits amessage 1405 including the consumer information to the identificationcode service 102 (block 1454). The consumer device 118 then receives andinstalls application 120 (block 1456).

The example consumer device 118 next receives and plays media content1355 (block 1458). Additionally or alternatively, the consumer device118 may sense via a microphone the audio signals of the media contentplayed by another device 119. The application 120 on the consumer device118 decodes the audio of the media content 1355 (block 1460) anddetermines whether the audio includes an identification code (block1462). If the audio does not include an identification code, theapplication 120 continues to decode media content audio as the audio isdetected.

However, if at least one identification code is detected, theapplication 120 on the consumer device 118 transmits a message 1409including the detected identification codes to the identification codeservice 102 (block 1464). In some instances, the application 120 mayqueue the identification codes until a predetermined time beforetransmitting. The example application 120 then determines whethercontent information 1415 has been provided by the identification codeservice 102 (block 1466). If content information 1415 is received, theapplication 120 processes the content information for execution by theconsumer device 118 (block 1468). This processing and execution caninclude navigating to a webpage specified by a hyperlink, displaying apromotional code, displaying a description of the media content, playingadditional media content, opening an application associated with viewedmedia content, etc. The application 120 also transmits a message 1417including feedback regarding the operations performed by the consumerusing the content information 1415 (or the content information itself)(block 1470). The example procedure 1450 continues by the consumerdevice 118 playing additional (or detecting) media content (block 1458).The example procedure 1450 may end when a consumer deletes or removesthe application 120 from the consumer device 118.

Processor

A detailed block diagram of electrical systems of an example computingdevice (e.g., an identification code generator 104, an identificationcode encoder 106, an identification code manager 108, an identificationcode tracker 110 (collectively an identification code service 102), anembedder 114, a content provider 116, and/or a consumer device 118) isillustrated in FIG. 16. In this example, the devices 102, 104, 106, 108,110, 114, 116, and/or 118 include a main unit 1602 which preferablyincludes one or more processors 1604 communicatively coupled by anaddress/data bus 1606 to one or more memory devices 1608, other computercircuitry 1610, and one or more interface circuits 1612. The processor1604 may be any suitable processor, such as a microprocessor from theINTEL PENTIUM® or CORE™ family of microprocessors. The memory 1608preferably includes volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Preferably,the memory 1608 stores a software program that interacts with the otherdevices in the environment 100, as described above. This program may beexecuted by the processor 1604 in any suitable manner. In an exampleembodiment, memory 1608 may be part of a “cloud” such that cloudcomputing may be utilized by devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116,and/or 118. The memory 1608 may also store digital data indicative ofdocuments, files, programs, webpages, etc. retrieved from (or loadedvia) devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118.

The example memory devices 1608 store software instructions 1623,webpages 1624, user interface features, permissions, protocols,identification codes, audio files, content information, registrationinformation, event information, and/or configurations. The memorydevices 1608 also may store network or system interface features,permissions, protocols, configuration, and/or preference information1628 for use by the devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or118. It will be appreciated that many other data fields and records maybe stored in the memory device 1608 to facilitate implementation of themethods and apparatus disclosed herein. In addition, it will beappreciated that any type of suitable data structure (e.g., a flat filedata structure, a relational database, a tree data structure, etc.) maybe used to facilitate implementation of the methods and apparatusdisclosed herein.

The interface circuit 1612 may be implemented using any suitableinterface standard, such as an Ethernet interface and/or a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) interface. One or more input devices 1614 may beconnected to the interface circuit 1612 for entering data and commandsinto the main unit 1602. For example, the input device 1614 may be akeyboard, mouse, touch screen, track pad, track ball, isopoint, imagesensor, character recognition, barcode scanner, microphone, and/or aspeech or voice recognition system.

One or more displays, printers, speakers, and/or other output devices1616 may also be connected to the main unit 1602 via the interfacecircuit 1612. The display may be a cathode ray tube (CRTs), a liquidcrystal display (LCD), or any other type of display. The displaygenerates visual displays generated during operation of the device 102,104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118. For example, the display mayprovide a user interface and may display one or more webpages receivedfrom a device 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118. A userinterface may include prompts for human input from a user of the devices102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118 including links, buttons,tabs, checkboxes, thumbnails, text fields, drop down boxes, etc., andmay provide various outputs in response to the user inputs, such astext, still images, videos, audio, and animations.

One or more storage devices 1618 may also be connected to the main unit1602 via the interface circuit 1612. For example, a hard drive, CDdrive, DVD drive, and/or other storage devices may be connected to themain unit 1602. The storage devices 1618 may store any type of data,such as identifiers, identification codes, registration information,content information, event information, consumer data, media content,image data, video data, audio data, tagging data, historical access orusage data, statistical data, security data, etc., which may be used bythe devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118.

The computing device 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118 mayalso exchange data with other network devices 1620 via a connection to anetwork 1621 (e.g., the Internet) or a wireless transceiver 1622connected to the network 1621. Network devices 1620 may include one ormore servers, which may be used to store certain types of data, andparticularly large volumes of data which may be stored in one or moredata repository. A server may process or manage any kind of dataincluding databases, programs, files, libraries, identification codes,content information, consumer registration information, identifiers,consumer data, event information, configuration data, index or taggingdata, historical access or usage data, statistical data, security data,etc. A server may store and operate various applications relating toreceiving, transmitting, processing, and storing the large volumes ofdata. It should be appreciated that various configurations of one ormore servers may be used to support, maintain, or implement the devices102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118 of the environment 100.For example, servers may be operated by various different entities,including content producers, content creators, distributors,broadcasters, service providers, etc. Also, certain data may be storedin one of the devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118which is also stored on a server, either temporarily or permanently, forexample in memory 1608 or storage device 1618. The network connectionmay be any type of network connection, such as an Ethernet connection,digital subscriber line (DSL), telephone line, coaxial cable, wirelessconnection, etc.

Access to a device 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118 can becontrolled by appropriate security software or security measures. Anindividual third-party client or consumer's access can be defined by thedevice 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118 and limited tocertain data and/or actions. Accordingly, users of the environment 100may be required to register with one or more computing devices 102, 104,106, 108, 110, 114, 116, and/or 118.

CONCLUSION

It will be appreciated that all of the disclosed methods and proceduresdescribed herein can be implemented using one or more computer programsor components. These components may be provided as a series of computerinstructions on any conventional computer-readable medium, includingRAM, ROM, flash memory, magnetic or optical disks, optical memory, orother storage media. The instructions may be configured to be executedby a processor, which when executing the series of computer instructionsperforms or facilitates the performance of all or part of the disclosedmethods and procedures.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to theexample embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilledin the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and withoutdiminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that suchchanges and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A method comprising:determining, via a first processor, an identification code responsive toa request from a third-party client; generating, via the firstprocessor, an audio file including the identification code;transmitting, via the first processor, the audio file to the third-partyclient enabling the third-party client to embed the audio file includingthe identification code into media content; causing a second processorto store a copy of the identification code to a data structureaccessible by the third-party client; receiving, via the secondprocessor, content information associated with the media content fromthe third-party client; storing, via the second processor, the contentinformation in correspondence to the stored copy of the identificationcode; receiving, via the second processor, a message including theidentification code from a consumer device that detected theidentification code within the media content; determining, via thesecond processor, the identification code corresponds to the contentinformation; transmitting, via the second processor, the contentinformation to the consumer device; receiving, via a third processor, anevent from the consumer device based on the content information, theevent being indicative of an action performed by the consumer deviceafter the consumer device received the content information; and making,via the third processor, data associated with the event graphicallyavailable for the third-party client.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: generating, via the second processor, a second event basedon the content information; transmitting, via the second processor, thesecond event to the third processor; and making, via the thirdprocessor, data associated with the second event graphically availablefor the third-party client.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thecontent information includes at least one of an Entertainment IdentifierRegistry (“EIDR”), an Ad-ID, metadata, an electronic file, anadvertisement, a promotion, and a hyperlink associated with the mediacontent.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio file includes apulse-code modulated WAV file.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereingenerating the audio file includes: setting a duration during which theidentification code is to be repeated within the audio file based on afirst time specified by the third party-client, setting an offset of theidentification code within the audio file based on a second timespecified by the third-party client, and modulating the identificationcode in a frequency band based on a channel specified by the third-partyclient.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification codeincludes a 48-bit identifier and an 18 bit timecode.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the identifier is selected from among a sub-set ofidentifiers available to the processor.
 8. An apparatus comprising: afirst server configured to: receive a request from a third-party clientfor an identification code; and determine the identification codeincluding an identifier and a timecode; a second server configured to:generate an audio file including the identification code; receive mediacontent from the third-party client; embed the audio file into the mediacontent; and transmit electronically the media content including theembedded identification code to the third-party client; and a thirdserver configured to: store content information in correspondence to astored copy of the identification code; receive a message including theidentification code from a consumer device that detected theidentification code within the media content; determine theidentification code corresponds to the content information; transmit thecontent information to the consumer device; receive an event from aconsumer device based on the content information, the event beingindicative of an action performed by the consumer device after thecontent information was received by the consumer device; and storeinformation related to the event to a database.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8, wherein at least one of the first server or the second serveris configured to transmit the identification code to the third server,which stores the identification code to a data structure that is madeavailable to the third-party client.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the second server is configured to generate the audio file byencoding the identification code into the audio file using codedorthogonal frequency-division multiplexing at a determined frequencyband.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second serverdetermines a first frequency band when the third-party client is a mediacontent distributor and a second frequency band different from the firstfrequency band when the third-party client is a media content creator.12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the first server is configuredto: receive a request from a second third-party client for a secondidentification code; and determine a second identification codeincluding a second identifier and a second timecode; and the secondserver configured to: generate a second audio file including the secondidentification code; and transmit electronically the second audio fileto the second third-party client enabling the second third-party clientto embed the second audio file including the second identification codeinto media content.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein thethird-party client is a creator of the media content and the secondthird-party client is a distributor of the media content downstream fromthe creator.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the secondthird-party client embeds the second identification code in the mediacontent by (i) identifying the identification code within the mediacontent, (ii) removing the identification code from the media content,and (iii) adding the second identification code to the media content inplace of the first identification code.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein: the first server configured to: receive a second request fromthe third-party client for a second identification code; and determinethe second identification code including a second identifier and asecond timecode; and the second server is configured to: generate theaudio file including the identification code within a first time periodand the second identification code within a second time period after thefirst time period; and transmit electronically the audio file to thethird-party client enabling the third-party client to embed the audiofile including the identification code and the second identificationcode into the media content.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein theidentification code is associated with first content informationincluding an Entertainment Identifier Registry and the secondidentification code is associated with second content informationincluding metadata to be transmitted to a consumer device that detectsthe second identification code.
 17. An apparatus comprising: a firstserver configured to: receive a copy of an identification code from anidentification code generator, the identification code being embeddedinto media content by a third-party client; receive, at a first time,first content information associated with the media content from thethird-party client; store the first content information in conjunctionwith the copy of the identification code to a data structure accessibleby the third-party client; receive, at a subsequent second time, secondcontent information associated with the media content; replace the firstcontent information with the second content information stored inconjunction with the copy of the identification code; receive from aconsumer device, after the second time, a message including theidentification code; determine the identification code corresponds tothe second content information; and transmit the second contentinformation to the consumer device; and a second server configured to:receive an event based from the consumer device based on the secondcontent information; and make data associated with the event graphicallyavailable for the third-party client.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the second content information associated with the media contentis received from the third-party.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe first server is configured to: generate a second event based on thefirst content information; and transmit the second event to the secondserver.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second contentinformation transmitted to the consumer device includes at least one ofan advertisement, a promotion, a hyperlink, and metadata associated withthe media content.
 21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the firstserver is configured to update the second content information based on acondition.
 22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second server isconfigured to make the event graphically available by displaying a timethe consumer device detected the identification code, a geographiclocation where the consumer device detected the identification code, andinformation regarding a user of the consumer device.
 23. The apparatusof claim 17, wherein the consumer device plays the media content anddigitally detects the identification code within the media content. 24.The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the consumer device includes amicrophone that senses audio of the media content played by anotherdevice, the audio including the identification code.
 25. The apparatusof claim 17, wherein the second server is configured to: receive asubscription request from the third-party client for events associatedwith at least one of the first content information and the secondcontent information; determine the event is associated with at least oneof the first content information and the second content information; andtransmit a message to the third-party client including the event. 26.The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third server is integrated with atleast one of the first server or the second server.